Turkey: Arrest warrants out for 100 in FETO probe

By Muhammed Enes Can, Murat Kaya and Omer Yildiz

ISTANBUL/ADANA, Turkey (AA) - Turkish prosecutors issued arrest warrants for over 100 people across the nation for their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, judicial sources said on Tuesday.

Istanbul prosecutors sought the arrest of 74 suspects -- 32 out of them are on active duty soldiers -- with warrants as part of a FETO probe into the infiltration of the terror group into the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), according to sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Colonels, lieutenant colonels, and commanders are among the soldiers sought by security sources, the sources said.

Separately, prosecutors in southern Adana province issued arrest warrants for 27 soldiers – including 20 personnel on active-duty, sources said. Police have conducted raids in 18 provinces to hunt suspects.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured, according to authorities.

The terror group is also accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.